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Cash for housing repairs slashed
Cash for repairs and maintenance on council tenants' homes has been slashed by more than £1million.
Finance bosses admitted on Thursday (July 18) that the cutbacks were 'not ideal', but essential if Dacorum Borough Council was to balance its books.
The overall budget has been reduced to just 407,000 and mostly earmarked for essential health and safety repairs.
Councillors discussed the cutbacks at a meeting of the Social Overview and Scrutiny Committee (SOSC) on Wednesday, July 16.
Committee members raised concern for the effect the reduction could have on funding security gates, lighting and CCTV cameras.
Money for these security measures usually totals 100,000, but will be slashed by more than two thirds to 30,000.
Also being pulled from the budget is cash for water main renewals, that will lose half of its allocated 60,000 and the replacement of fences, reduced from 300,000 to 50,000.
Council money used to renew roofs and guttering will shrink from 100,000 to 35,000, and just 12,000 of the 100,000 previously allocated to replacing entry phones will be available.
These changes will be in effect 'at least' until the end of the next financial year.
A report received by the SOSC noted that the reductions were likely to lead to an 'increase in tenants complaints'.
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Wednesday 08 February 2012
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